2016 December 14 | What comes to mind when you think of the Netherlands? That was the question posed by the organizers of a series of short talks in Guangzhou about Dutch architecture, innovation and communication.
The strict Pecha Kucha format – using 20 slides for only 20 seconds each – forced me to tell my story in less than 7 minutes. As I focus on communication, the essence of the Dutch identity to me is our ‘square’ communication style, our polder model with endless meetings and on our positive take on a highly confrontational style. For the Dutch, speaking one’s mind and openly criticizing any idea or proposition – purposefully not taking hierarchical relations into account – is considered taking responsibility as a team member. This was my answer to the question about the Netherlands: “Cycling on a stormy day, challenging and refreshing at the same time.”